Irish Congregational Orphan Society
Trustees Annual Report including Assets and Liabilities
Charity – Irish Congregational Orphan Society
NI charity reference – NIC101719
Public address – 11 Abbey Court, Belfast, BT5 7JE
Introduction
The Society’s registration as a charity was approved on 8[th] May 2015 .
This report of the trustees covers the period 1[st] February 2023 to 31[st] January 2024 .
Structure
The Society is a small unincorporated institution governed by a constitution and its rules are operated by a Committee.
Objects
Our Charitable Purpose is set out in the constitution as follows:
The object of the Society shall be to aid in the maintenance and education of Orphan children, one or both of whose parents have been members of a Congregational Church in Ireland.
This object is advanced by providing limited monetary grants to the parent or guardian of orphans to aid in the maintenance and education of the orphan(s).
Trustees
For the purpose of charity law, the Committee which is presently made up of 5 people are deemed to be the trustees who have the day-to-day role for the administration and management of the Society in accordance with the rules of the constitution. The persons who served as trustees in the period of this report were:-
Rev. Tom Boyle, Denis Johnston, Hilda Johnston, Michael Porter, Jeanette Tulloch.
Public Benefit Statement
The trustees confirm they have regard to the Commission’s public benefit requirement.
None of the trustees receives any private monetary benefit from their role as trustees. Our charitable purpose as stated above is also set out in our purpose statement available to view on our registration page on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland website.
The benefit would also be monitored by the minister of the congregational church nominating the orphan(s) to the Society as being a candidate to receive a grant.
Safeguarding
The Trustees remain aware of the ‘duty of care’ to children. None of the trustees has any close or unsupervised contact with orphans eligible to receive a grant from the Society.
Financial Review
In the current year 2 orphans were in receipt of a grant from the Society.
We also record sincere appreciation to those churches of the Congregational Union of Ireland which have made financial donations to the Society. Although it is the business of the committee to raise funds, the Society does not engage in or promote specific fundraising activity.
The Society’s income does not benefit from the Government’s ‘Gift Aid’ scheme for tax payers
Accounts are prepared on an income and expenditure basis and we comply with the requirement to disclose and submit the information required in the Annual Monitoring Return and to publish our accounts in line with our understanding of CCNI guidance.
Our gross income for the year as reported here at 31[st] January 2024 was £2,134 with expenditure of £1,033.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Total unrestricted funds held on account at 31[st] January 2024:- £69,136.
There are no financial (or otherwise) liabilities either currently or pending save the ongoing grants to two orphans ending in 2029 and 2030.
While the present demand on the Society's resources is small, there has been a recent uptake in requests for assistance. There are sufficient funds to sustain the work of the Society and the trustees will continue to review the ongoing work and benefits provided.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:-
Rev Tom Boyle (Chairman of Trustees) Michael G Porter (Hon Treasurer)
Dated:- 11th June 2024